How to Make Beads

Power to the flowers! The following daisy pattern looks super-cool when beads are made up into bracelets, necklaces, and earrings. Practicing first with a leather cord and wooden beads is pretty easy and makes chunky, funky jewelry. Once you've got it down, try it with nylon thread and

smaller beads for a delicate look.

What You'll Need:

For a bracelet or necklace:

Leather or satin cord (nylon thread)

Wooden or other bigger-size beads in three colors

Scissors

Matching button

Needle (if making the smaller kind of bracelet)

Additionally, for earrings:

Two French wire earrings

What To Do:

For a daisy bracelet, choose a bead color for flower petals, another color for flower centers, and a third for connecting beads (the connecting beads may be smaller than the others).

Tie a knot at the end of the cord, thread on a matching button, and tie another knot after it. Thread on two connecting beads. Then add six flower petal beads, and thread the cord back up through the first petal bead. Now you have a circle.

Thread on a flower center bead. Going toward the left, skip two beads and thread the loose end of the cord through the third bead. Pull tight. The first "daisy" is made.

Add two connecting beads, make another daisy, and continue until the bracelet is the right length for your wrist. At the end, add connecting beads to make a loop big enough to slip over the button.

Note: If you're making the daintier kind of bracelet, use eight connecting beads between flowers. Also use eight beads to make the daisies, and skip three beads before threading the loose end of the nylon thread through the fourth bead.

For a flower necklace, use a matching button if you're making a choker. If you're making a longer necklace, skip the button and make a knot 3 inches from the end of the cord.

Follow the daisy bracelet instructions above, only make your chain of daisies long enough to fit around your neck. For a choker, finish the necklace like you did the bracelet, but for a longer necklace, tie the ends of the necklace together, and be sure it is long enough to slip over your head.

For daisy earrings, make a knot at the end of the cord, and use a matching color of thread to attach the French wires to the cord between the knot and the connecting beads.

Thread on four or five connecting beads, depending on the length of earrings you want. Make a daisy according to the daisy bracelet instructions above, then tie off the cord.

Note: If you're using small beads, thread on eight to 10 connecting beads. Make three daisies, with two to four connecting beads between flowers. Then thread the needle through the last connecting bead before the first daisy and pull tight, making a mini loop. Tie off.

Take your floral appreciation to the next level when you use actual flowers for the next bead project. Learn more about rose beads on the next page.